Nicolas Petit Claims Decisive Win in 2018 Kobuk 440
There was still pale orange light in the western sky as the French-born Girdwood musher rode into Kotzebue at 12:08 Sunday morning. He had seven energetic dogs in harness.
Making Ambler’s Checkpoint Run Takes a Village
People like Lolo Johnson, who’s been a race cook in Ambler for 12 years, make the busy checkpoint run smoothly as mushers come and go and come again.
Browning, King Race for Second as Petit Pushes On
Veteran Tony Browning is the musher with the most Kobuk 440s under his belt, while relative newbie Ellen King is only racing her second.
Petit Extends Lead; Jessie Holmes Scratches
Petit checked in to Ambler for the second time after completing the turnaround leg to Kobuk and back in a swift 7 hours. Holmes says he “way too hard, way too fast” at the beginning.
Two Generations of Kings Racing Kobuk 440: One By Dog Sled, One By Snowmachine
Both Jeff King and Ellen King arrived into Ambler on Friday morning. The elder King isn’t competing this year, but he’s been following his daughter on snowmachine. Ellen was the fourth out of 16 mushers to reach the 2018 Kobuk 440 checkpoint.
Nic Petit First to Ambler
The sun was just creeping over Bornite Mountain when Nicolas Petit rode into Ambler in first position. It’s the third checkpoint in the Kobuk 440 and where mushers tend to take longer rests.
16 Teams Depart Kobuk 440 Start in Kotzebue
Sixteen dog teams took off from Kotzebue this afternoon at the start of the 2018 Kobuk 440. Leading the pack across the sea ice was this year’s Iditarod Rookie of the Year, Jessie Holmes. Absent was Kotzebue musher Katherine Keith, although some of her kennel’s dogs will be on the trail.